Thanet District Council is preparing to take the most decisive step yet toward reshaping the future of the Port of Ramsgate, as cabinet members meet on 18 December to consider removing the long-standing open port duty and pursuing potential land disposal options.
The move follows confirmation that returning the Kent port’s RoRo berths to operational use would require £17.5 million in investment, a sum the council says is far beyond its reach. Ending the port’s persistent revenue deficit and reducing legal and financial risk now sit at the heart of the recommendations.
Council leader Rick Everitt said the scale of investment needed had left the authority with little choice. “The financial commitment required to return the ro-ro berths to operational status is simply well beyond the capacity of a district council,” he said. “These recommendations allow us to take a crucial step to protect the council and, by extension, our residents, from significant financial and legal risk.”
A report to cabinet proposes beginning a harbour revision order in early 2026 to remove the open port duty linked to the underused RoRo infrastructure. If approved, the process could take up to four years, though it may be halted if circumstances change.
Alongside this, councillors will be asked to advance work on four potential asset disposal options, involving either leasehold or freehold sale of port land. Officers argue that disposal offers the most realistic route to a sustainable long-term outcome.
Short-term income opportunities – expected to span one to four years – would also be pursued immediately to help reduce the port’s ongoing budget deficit.
The cabinet will additionally consider whether the neighbouring Royal Harbour should be included in the scope of future options. Everitt stressed that reviewing the harbour did not imply a desire to sell it. “We recognise how integral it is to Ramsgate as a community asset,” he said.
